S.A. makes ‘Drunkest Cities’ list

For those who’ve sipped a margarita or a cold beer at one of San Antonio’s many watering holes or reveled in the alcohol-friendly Fiesta, it’s likely no surprise that media outlet The Daily Beast has ranked the city fifth on its list of “Drunkest Cities” in the U.S.

David Martinez makes his way through La Villita during the first night of Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA), a Fiesta event with plenty of alcoholic beverages. Kin Man Hui/staff.

Last week, the news and opinion website released its second annual list of the top 25 American cities with a drinking problem. Rankings were set based on data from Experian Simmons, which provided the average number of alcoholic drinks per month surveyors earlier this year said they had; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, whose data includes the percentage of binge or heavy drinkers in metropolitan areas and the number of deaths per 100,000 residents from alcohol liver disease.

According to the list, San Antonians on average have 14.2 drinks per month and more than 1.6 million residents are over the age of 21. More than 19 percent of residents here are binge drinkers, and 8.2 percent are categorized as “heavy drinkers.”

San Antonio staggered to fifth place this year after ranking 19th on last year’s list, according to The Daily Beast.

Ranked first, with an average of 15.5 average monthly drinks consumed by person, is Boston. Other Texas cities that ranked were Austin, at No. 7, and Houston, at No. 25, the list states.

The Daily Beast in February ranked San Antonio as the best U.S. city for love, and previously the Alamo City was listed next to last among 55 U.S. cities for intelligence. San Antonio has also been ranked by the website as one of America’s running capitals.